IF you believe the trend hunters, tea has been on the cusp of being the hot, fashionable beverage for years. But in most cafes and restaurants tea remains the indifferent teabag infused in water heated to a random temperature. In short, you are better dunking a bag in a cup of boiling water at home. But now specialty teas from single-origin farmers are receiving an unexpected boost from baristas who care about coffee and its origins. Nathan Wakeford, managing director […]
Month: November 2009
Relative merits of family businesses
THERE are many big issues facing family businesses. For a start, the family members are not only the shareholders and the board of directors, but the management of the company too. But of everything they face, the most thorny issue is how to deal with the kids when they either want to join the business or cash out. According to Terry Rowney, chairman of Family Business Australia, one of the worst things a family business can do is expect the […]
Burger dynamics 101 and the Angry Anus
Hungry Jack’s Angry Angus that arrived with “ANUS” written on it. The gourmet burger is now mainstream. Even Hungry Jacks has its own salt and fat packed version dragging down the reputation of Angus beef. It’s the latest trend in food, knowing the provenance of your ingredients – with Maccas being the first mainstream brand to name Angus beef as a selling point back in August. The recently launched Hungry Jacks version, the Angry Angus, is masked with controversy particularly […]
Proud Mary. Great coffee and tea
I‘m starting to judge cafes by their espresso machines. The more serious the machine, the better the coffee. So when you walk into a cafe and you see a six group Synesso longer than a coffin worth some $40,000 and you know something special is going on. It sorta trumps even St Ali’s $30,000 Slayer which is pretty awesome but only has three groups. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8bkRs77uX4] A Synesso in action. And I can tell you it’s official: Today coffee – and […]